1 Godspraak. Die woord van die HERE teen die land Hadrag, en op Damaskus bly dit rus -- want die HERE hou die oog op die mense en op al die stamme van Israel.

2 En ook teen Hamat wat daaraan grens; teen Tirus saam met Sidon, want hy is baie slim.

3 Ja, Tirus het vir hom 'n vesting gebou; ook het hy silwer opgehoop soos stof en goud soos modder van die strate.

4 Kyk, die Here sal hom in besit neem en sy skans in die see werp, en hy sal deur vuur verteer word.

5 Askelon sal dit sien en vrees; ook Gasa, wat sal sidder van angs; ook Ekron, omdat sy toeverlaat teleurgestel het; en uit Gasa verdwyn die koning, en Askelon bly onbewoond;

6 en die baster sal in Asdod woon -- so sal Ek dan aan die trotsheid van die Filistyn 'n einde maak --

7 en Ek sal die bloed uit sy mond verwyder en sy verfoeisels tussen sy tande uit; so sal hy dan ook vir onse God oorbly en wees soos 'n stamhoof in Juda, en Ekron soos 'n Jebusiet.

8 En Ek sal om my huis 'n laer trek teen die leërmag, teen die wat heen en weer trek, sodat geen oorheerser hulle weer sal oorrompel nie; want nou het Ek dit met my eie oë gesien.

9 Verheug jou grootliks, o dogter van Sion! Juig, o dogter van Jerusalem! Kyk, jou Koning kom na jou; regverdig en 'n oorwinnaar is Hy; nederig en Hy ry op 'n esel -- op 'n jong esel, die vul van 'n eselin.

10 En Ek sal die strydwaens uit Efraim en die perde uit Jerusalem uitroei, en die strydboog sal vernietig word. Dan sal Hy aan die nasies vrede verkondig, en sy heerskappy sal wees van see tot see, en van die Eufraat tot aan die eindes van die aarde.

11 Ook sal Ek, wat jou betref, o Sion, kragtens die bloed van jou verbond jou gevangenes loslaat uit die put sonder water.

12 Keer terug na die vesting, o hoopvolle gevangenes! Ook kondig Ek vandag aan dat Ek jou dubbel sal vergoed.

13 Want Ek span Juda vir My as boog, lê Efraim as pyl daarop; en Ek vuur jou seuns, o Sion, aan teen jou seuns, o Jawan, en Ek maak jou soos die swaard van 'n held.

14 Dan sal die HERE oor hulle verskyn, en soos weerlig sal sy pyl uitskiet; en die Here HERE sal met die basuin blaas en intrek met die storms uit die suide.

15 Die HERE van die leërskare sal hulle beskut; en hulle sal verslind, ja, slingerstene vertrap; ook sal hulle drink, 'n gedruis maak soos deur wyn en vol wees soos die offerkomme, soos die hoeke van 'n altaar.

16 En die HERE hulle God sal hulle in die dag verlos as die kudde wat sy volk is; want hulle is kroongesteentes wat hulle skitterend verhef oor sy land.

17 Want hoe groot is hulle voortreflikheid, en hoe groot hulle skoonheid! Die koring laat jongmanne en die mos jongedogters groei.

1 A word of the Lord: The Lord has come to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is his resting-place: for the towns of Aram are the Lord's,

2 As well as Hamath, which is by its limit, and Tyre and Zidon, because they are very wise.

3 And Tyre made for herself a strong place, and got together silver like dust and the best gold like the earth of the streets.

4 See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with fire.

5 Ashkelon will see it with fear, and Gaza, bent with pain; and Ekron, for her hope will be shamed: and the king will be cut off from Gaza, and Ashkelon will be unpeopled.

6 And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.

7 And I will take away his blood from his mouth, and his disgusting things from between his teeth; and some of his people will be kept for our God: and he will be as a family in Judah, and Ekron as one living in Jerusalem.

8 And I will put my forces in position round my house, so that there may be no coming and going: and no cruel master will again go through them: for now I have seen his trouble.

9 Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.

10 And he will have the war-carriage cut off from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off: and he will say words of peace to the nations: and his rule will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

11 And as for you, because of the blood of your agreement, I have sent out your prisoners from the deep hole in which there is no water.

12 And they will come back to you, O daughter of Zion, as prisoners of hope: today I say to you that I will give you back twice as much;

13 For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.

14 And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.

15 The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.

16 And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land.

17 For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.